The City's Latest PR Problem

So let me get this straight---Spokane County is going to give the City of Spokane some $7 million for a building just to tear it down? That’s just to buy the Downtown YMCA building using Conservation Futures money. Add hundreds of thousands dollars to actually demolish the building, kick in the million bucks in non-refundable money already spent by the Spokane Parks Board and toss in another half a million dollars or so for rents and maintenance and you’ve got a heck of a bailout---not to mention a big PR problem.

The City Council originally rejected using Conservation Futures money as a bad idea. Accepting the loot now could mean that the City would have no control over the property or a clear idea of how much it will really cost to return less than an acre of property to its native state. That’s because of several conditions the County has attached:

· The Parks Board is required to pay $100,000 a year to supplement rents of the Y building until it’s torn down in five years.
· The County keeps design approval for the property which sits in the City owned Riverfront Park.
· The City would be required to pay back a portion of the grant.
· The City is on the hook for the full amount if a future County Commission changes its mind about the CF funding.

Regardless of how you feel about using CF money the bigger issue is persuading folks that this is a good use of those funds as well as a good deal for taxpayers. First step would be to spend some money to determine what people think and what messages resonate with voters. If research shows there is little or no support then politely decline the County’s offer. Otherwise, a mini-political campaign complete with public meetings, media relations and voter contact efforts would have to be created and executed to educate people about the issue.

Who would be responsible for this effort? The Spokane Parks Board should be---it’s who created the need for a bailout to begin with. Will the Parks Board step up? Doubtful when you consider that the groups’ strategic thinking about this issue is summed up in two quotes by its vice-chairman: “We have no Plan B” and “We’re on auto pilot.”

Good luck City Council.

Downtown Jail Idea May Be Shifting

Spokane County may be reconsidering whether putting a jail near downtown is such a good idea.

The push to build a new Spokane County jail near the courthouse stalled last year when two big dollar issues arose: a $250 million price tag and another $8 million a year to run it. But a much larger hurdle appeared when important and influential community groups such as Downtown Spokane Partnership indicated that they would fight putting a multi-story 600 bed jail along with its ancillary issues a few blocks from the city center. Persuading 60% of the voters to approve a quarter of a billion dollar bond issue is tough enough---throw in instant opposition from politically savvy and well funded groups makes the task even more daunting.

Now it seems that the Sheriff’s Office understands that getting community support might be the first step toward building a new jail. The Sheriff’s Office told the County Commissioners during a meeting last week that architects are exploring whether a new, horizontally designed jail would be cheaper to operate than one six to ten stories high. If so, the commissioners were told, then it might be prudent to reexamine their site selection.

A jail site study says the top three locations are the county campus near downtown, acreage just off I-90 near the Medical Lake exit and property east of the Spokane Industrial Park. The County prefers the downtown location because it already owns the land and is near the courthouse which limits prisoner transportation costs.

Commissioners are not bound by their first pick but were quick to say that the site selection process will not be reopened and that a new jail will be built on one of the three sites. However, they did seem willing to re-visit their initial downtown decision if a new design shows “a substantial savings in operational costs.”

Now might be the time for the all stakeholders---City, County and the area’s business community--- to join forces to see whether a regional solution can be found.

So what’s your take? Put the jail downtown? In a less urban setting? Is a new jail even needed? It’s your tax money---you have the right to choose.

A Positive Public Policy Outlook

Among the many lessons I’ve learned during my 30 years of public affairs experience is that even though a recommendation may not be what you want it’s best to stay engaged on a positive level with policy makers because there will always be another chance.

And here it is: Instead of awarding a short term contract with a local racetrack operator to get Spokane Raceway Park back up and running the Spokane County Commissioners will shift gears and seek a long term operator. Good for my client Pacific Raceways because even though we lost the first heat we’ll get another opportunity.

Why the change in direction? The Commissioners had hoped to salvage some of the summer racing season by working with an interim operator. But too many legal roadblocks and some new information about the where the race track should go has lead the Parks Department and the Commissioners to slow down, re-evaluate and pursue a long term agreement that will ensure the entire 317 acre sports complex will be successful.

I understand the political pressure to reopen what will now be called the Spokane Motorsports Complex as soon as possible. But the Commissioners are making a wise choice---and not just because it may benefit my client. They have one shot to do this right and start creating a first class recreational facility. Taking a little more time to find the right fit can help avoid costly mistakes down the road.

This brings me back to keeping a positive outlook when working in the public affairs arena. Criticizing adverse decisions might feel good but it rarely helps in the long run. Keeping your council and continuing to help decision makers reach their goals reinforces your credibility and reliability---it’s like money in the bank because there will always be another chance.

Lessons Learned

Second place is nice but it’s not exactly I had in mind---and I guess I have to take the blame. My client Pacific Raceways finished a close number two in the selection process to become the interim operator of the former Spokane Raceway Park. Congratulations to Post Falls based Stateline Speedway who nipped us at the finish.

Here’s where I went wrong. I suggested to my client that a robust application should be submitted to the five member committee appointed to make a selection. Sound advice---as far as it went. We made a solid application and were clearly a front runner because PR is bigger, has more employees, has more racing days and has more experience. But I should have recognized that we had a disadvantage coming from Kent---that Cascade Curtain effect---and been more forceful in explaining to the client that we had to do a much better job than the local folks.

We made it to the interview stage but then I compounded my mistake by not communicating more clearly and persuasively that a stellar presentation was required. We had a plan to operate the track, answered all the questions quite well and were ready to get Spokane Motorsports Park back up and running. But I learned a few days later that the Stateline boys’ material and presentation looked better than ours---Stateline was rewarded for the extra effort.

A consultant’s job is to come up with ideas, recommend a course of action and, when necessary, insist that the client follow that advice. My friends would never accuse me of being a shrinking violet but I acquiesced too easily in this case.

Definitely a lesson learned. But at least I’ll know what not to do next time around.

New Jail Already Has Opposition

No time’s being waste by those lining up against a new Spokane County jail. The $100 million dollar bond proposal isn’t even on the ballot yet and opposition has already surfaced. But it’s not the price tag---it’s the location.

The Spokane County Commissioners tabbed the downtown Courthouse campus as the best place for a proposed multi-story lockup and parking garage to replace the Geiger Correction Center which is losing its Spokane International Airport property lease in 2013. But the Commissioners failed to ask the surrounding neighborhoods and business owners whether another 1,000 inmates and the problems that such a facility spawn were in their best interests.

They used the state’s Essential Public Facilities system which is supposed to remove the politics from deciding where to build generally unsavory things such as jails. Ten sites were proposed; the downtown campus rated tops among three finalists. But the Commissioners did not have to select that one. Two other sites---county owned property off Tchsirey Road and private property near the Medical Lake exit on I-90 were also on the table.

That's where the communication between the decision makers and the public never started. Business owners, stakeholders and residents in the downtown and West Central neighborhoods were not included in the process. The Downtown Spokane Partnership, Kendall Yards and neighborhood groups say look at the area around the courthouse now---pretty much bail bond heaven with only a few struggling businesses. Imagine, they say, what it’ll be like when a detention facility about half the size of the 2,200 inmate Airway Heights Correction Center looms over the area: Not much of a chance for any sort of redevelopment along Boone Avenue, West Central could be doomed to remain among the poorer neighborhoods in the city and Kendall Yards would not be as attractive to residents or new businesses as it is now.

The Commissioners and Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich need all the help they can get to persuade voters to approve the most expensive public project in county history. And with some powerful forces taking aim at stopping the deal maybe the Commissioners and Sheriff should step back, hold off on putting this measure on the November ballot and begin communicating with the folks who can help instead of hurt their efforts.

Housing What?

So what about this Regional Affordable Housing Task Force? Bet you’ve never heard of it. The only reason I have is that I’m on it. Not a very good start for an idea that came about a year ago when almost 200 low income residents were forced to move from their mostly decrepit downtown Spokane apartments and the City said that a housing crisis was on us and that something must be done.

Here’s the scoop: It’s taken seven months for local governments to put the task force together; 19 of us are finally set to develop a comprehensive plan and implementation strategy that we hope will address among the more urgent issues that face the Inland Northwest---the need for abundant and affordable low income and workforce housing.

Task force members run the gamut: Representatives from non-profit housing agencies, developers, decision makers and generally interested folks who might have some skills to make things happen will meet six times between now and October to create something that I hope can be a model for the rest of the country. My role is twofold. I’ll represent the City of Spokane’s Community Development Board; my communications skills will also likely be called on. A recent magazine piece I wrote for Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living and my role as a downtown resident, community advocate and communications consultant should also help establish my bona fides.

We’ll have staff help from the City of Spokane and Spokane County but there will still be several challenges. Among the larger ones will be to create what Task Force members are being told is a Public Education Program. A couple of points on this---first of all we’ll have to decide what we’re going to educate the public about and then we’ll have to find the money to make it happen. Governments are notorious for creating committees and then ignoring the innovations that come from them. What I don’t want to see is just another thick report with lots of great ideas get sucked into a black hole never to be seen again.

It’ll be an interesting process---I’ll keep you posted.

Spokane Raceway Park: Moving Forward Despite Critics

The Spokane County Commissioners are moving forward to preserve more than 300 acres of open space for public use despite their critics’ best efforts to derail what will be a first class public amenity. The County won’t officially own the property which includes Spokane Raceway Park for another month or so. But Commissioners Todd Mielke and Mark Richard are aggressively working to open SRP this summer and ensure the entire area is eventually developed into a robust sports and recreation complex.

Here’s what Mielke and Richard are doing:
· Considering hiring a company to open and run the track for the next 18 months before signing a long term operating agreement. At least four different groups are vying to play. Full disclosure: I represent Pacific Raceways which is actively seeking to operate SRP.
· Discussing possible funding measures with Airway Heights to pay for infrastructure upgrades and full development of ball fields and playgrounds.
· Engaging the racing community to enlist volunteers who will provide money and muscle to cleanup and repair SRP for a summer reopening.
· Making preliminary plans to establish a state-of-the-art, regional law enforcement training facility on a portion of the property.

Mielke and Richard clearly allowed themselves to be needlessly beaten up by folks who don’t share their vision that publically funded recreational facilities include more than just trees. The two Commissioners were slow in responding with strong messages explaining the public and financial benefits when opponents---including fellow Commissioner Bonnie Mager--- disingenuously said the decision to buy the race track and other open space was irresponsible and a waste of taxpayers’ money. The truth is that thousands of people using SRP will generate millions of dollars for the community and the County and that developing playgrounds and ball fields will provide safe and healthy recreational opportunities for our children.

Those opposing Richard and Mielke thought they had a strong issue to unseat them this fall. But by moving aggressively to ensure the projects’ success and continuing to focus on their messages the two will eliminate SRP from the debate and demonstrate that bold government is effective government.

STA-Crime Check-Jail: Setting the Stage

The Spokane Transit Authority and Crime Check supporters are in the final stages of their---how shall I put this---really low-key sales tax campaigns. We’ll know May 20th whether STA will continue collecting a 0.6% sales tax forever or if the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is allowed to use a tenth of a percent sales tax hike for emergency communications equipment and to reinstate Crime Check.

A May election is being held because supporters know that both measures are in trouble---a loss now means they can run them again in November. Could happen because folks don’t like permanent tax increases without guarantees that the money is really needed and will be spent wisely.

But this creates headaches for the County Commissioners who are considering whether to run what could be at least a $100 million jail bond issue in November. Here’s the problem: We won’t know where it would be built, there’s no official price tag and---probably the biggest concern---no political ground work has been laid to persuade voters that a new jail is even needed. Throw in concerns about the economy and the possibility that STA and Crime Check may resurface and you can see Commissioners’ dilemma.

And time is short: the site for a new jail won’t be known for several weeks; the issue itself may not be placed on the ballot until late summer which means only about eight weeks to mount a credible campaign. Significant tax requests can pass if energetic people are involved, the right messages are developed and voters are assured that the project is necessary. Maybe the County should take the rest of this year to develop a robust public education campaign to explain the need for a new jail and ask for voters’ approval next year. More time, a well devised and executed communications effort and full public involvement will give the idea a much better chance of approval the first time around.